May 17, 2013: AAVSO assistance has been requested by Dr. Juan Echevarria (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and colleagues in a campaign on the Z Cam-type cataclysmic variable AH Her being carried out 2013 May 29 - June 18. They will be making photometric and spectroscopic observations of AH Her using the 2.1m and 0.84m telescopes at San Pedro Martir Observatory (SPM).

NASA officials have announced that the spacecraft stabilizers on the Kepler satellite can no longer keep the spacecraft pointed accurately. Plans are being developed to address the problems, but if they are unsuccessful, Kepler's extended mission to search for exoplanets may be ending.

VStar version 2.15.1 has just been released. If you have been using VStar already, the new version will be automatically downloaded next time you open it. If you have never used VStar before (or don't know what it is) then you can learn about it and download the latest version from this page:

We're pleased to note that GCN Circular #14490 has been published, detailing time-series photometry of the bright GRB 130427A by Patrick Wiggins. His observations provide a comprehensive record of the three hours of the early evolution of this incredibly bright afterglow.

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The deadline for hotel reservations for the upcoming spring meeting has been extended to April 22nd! It is not too late to decide to join us at Appalachian State University for this unique meeting. Please visit the Meeting Information Page for details and the registration link.